Today, we took the metro to Rotterdam’s city center. We went on a small guided tour around the city, where we learned about Rotterdam’s efforts to store water and minimize flooding. We observed a monument made up of four letters that (“ZOHO”), at first glance, looked like it was made for decorative purposes. In reality, hidden inside the monument are rainwater storage bins. It is connected to a drainage system that allows water to flow in and out seamlessly. We also saw a colorful reservoir near a basketball court that is also used to store water.

After the tour, we visited the Dakakker green roof. I was particularly excited for this because, for my ENGR 11 project, my team created a green roof prototype for Pitt’s campus, and I wanted to see our idea come to life. Upon arrival, the tour guide explained that the garden included all types of plants, some edible and others not. They even had chickens. He also explained that green roofs come with weight limitations. This means that only a certain number of people can stand on the garden at once, and they cannot use normal soil. Instead, they use lava substrate imported from Germany! I never knew lava could be used as soil. I really enjoyed visiting the green roof because it offered beautiful views of the city and was filled with colorful plants that I had never seen before. Seeing a green roof in action made me realize that this could be a viable solution for rainwater collection and could also serve as a community garden at Pitt. Since cities naturally have less green space, utilizing campus rooftops to build green roofs would be a sustainable way to make use of all the “wasted space” around Pitt.

We then visited a rock climbing café and later took a bus to the Watersnood Museum. There, we were greeted by Ria, our tour guide for the next hour and a half. She explained that the museum was divided into four sections: the flood itself, the human lives lost, the reconstruction process, and the Netherlands’ future in water safety. What I found most interesting was that the museum is built inside a caisson that was originally used as a barrier to replace the damaged dikes. During the tour, we learned where the storm that caused the flood originated, and even the exact times it struck different regions. As we continued through the museum, we saw personal belongings recovered from the flood, such as documents, toys, food, and other everyday items. We also watched a short film that showed just how distressing and chaotic the flood truly was. Afterwards, we saw fascinating exhibits demonstrating what the reconstruction process looked like.

We finished the tour in the museum’s more modern section, which encouraged us to reflect on the future of the Netherlands and its water safety challenges. As water levels continue to rise due to climate change, more concerns are coming to light that need to be addressed. This experience made me reflect more deeply on how flooding is still an ongoing issue that requires immediate attention for the future and safety of the country.